By ISU Sports Information
CARBONDALE – Regan Romshek dazzled again in the circle, pitching another complete game to lead the Illinois State softball team to a 2-1 victory over UNI Friday in Carbondale, Illinois. ISU advances to the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament semifinals against Drake Friday night.
ISU (20-32) held off a late rally from UNI, recording the final out with the tying run at third and the winning run at second.
The Redbirds were tasked with another elite pitcher in UNI’s Chelsea Ross, but Romshek once again won the battle. Ross held the Redbirds hitless through the first three innings, while Romshek surrendered just one in that span.
Both teams stranded a runner at second in the first inning, but went without a baserunner in both the second and third innings. In the fourth, Riley Strandgard picked up the first hit of the game for ISU with a double to right field. She was stranded at second. Ross singled in the bottom of the inning, but UNI stranded her at first.
Ross and Romshek continued to duel into the sixth when the ISU offense broke through. Annie Heineman and Romshek led off with singles, and Strandgard delivered an RBI single two batters later to drive in Heineman for the game’s first run. Ross would work out of the inning with no more damage done.
Romshek worked a perfect sixth inning and her offense provided her with an insurance run in the seventh. Alex Caliva led off with a double off the base of the left field fence and, after advancing to third on a passed ball, scored on an RBI single from Heineman. The run proved to be the difference in the game.
UNI finally got to Romshek in the bottom of the seventh. Ross led off with a single and Kennedy Bailey hit a double off the fence to put runners at second and third with one out. Alyssa Buchanan singled in one run to cut the deficit in half. On the throw in from center she advanced to second, putting runners at second and third with one out. However, Romshek got the next two batters to fly out to end the game.
Romshek pitched seven innings and allowed five hits and one run, while striking out three and walking none. Strandgard finished 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, while Heineman was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
ISU advances to the semifinals for the second-straight season and will face Drake at approximately 6:30 p.m. Friday night.
